The Works of Heather S.

Month: March 2018

I don’t have to tell you life is hard. You know that. Hell, most of you are living that. I get that. I understand. That struggle is real, it holds you down, holds you hostage. You feel like you are so much better than you are achieving, or perhaps you simply yearn for a break in the clouds of oppressing circumstances. Whatever, you know the feeling I’m talking of. Life hurts sometimes.

It’s at those moments when we are at our weakest point, when our long struggle has us questioning every choice we have ever made, that the soft whispered lies that come from the darkness within begin to overwhelm us.

“I can’t do this anymore…”

“I’ll never get out of this shitty job.”

“I’ll always be alone.”

They linger far longer than any of us would like, months, years, heck, if you let it, a lifetime. It sucks.

But life is a process. We are designed to be tested.

This doesn’t lessen the pain, but instead works as a focus. It gives you something upon which to move, a way to gird yourself and walk through the pain on to something better.

This pain you feel? These trials that you face? They are not the end. They are not who you are. You are more than that. You are greater than that. You have a strength you didn’t even know you had until you look back upon your tribulations and see just how far you have come.

It is easy to listen to the lies your brain tells you. I see it in my friends from all walks of life. I see it in the climate of the United States at large. (Damn right I’m getting political, just because I don’t post about it a lot, doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions. People have been shouldering a great burden for years. This darkness has gotten pretty widespread.) But this is a process. We will push through. We just have to work through it. The birthing pains of a new life, a new job, a new outlook, a new world, they hurt, but they bring us just that much closer to something amazing.

I would like to share my experiences on surviving these birthing pains.

Stop. Take a deep breath, and center yourself. You aren’t going to do you or anyone else any good if you are overly emotional or hysterical. Fully accept that this is a test of your character. The only thing you can control is how you respond to it.

Take hold of that thing of which you can control. Your response to those things bringing you down.

Anxiety, do what you can to be kind to yourself then sit back and ride the wave. You should have tools that help you to manage it, use them. If you don’t have them, find some. Be kind to yourself, forgive yourself for using them.

Life stress, brainstorm a plan, don’t worry about the details yet. In the world you live in today, right now, where would you like to be in life, what type of person would you like to be? Be realistic but take a moment to focus in on the best idea, the one that would bring you most joy, plan out a way to get there.

Take Action! Make sure you have a toolbox of healthy coping tools, make the changes in your life that lead you towards a better existence. Even if they are baby steps they are still worth taking. Moving forward allows you that small pulse of comfort. You don’t have to be a prize fighter to win a war. So long as you are moving forward, you haven’t given up the fight. The weight you bear is heavy, but that doesn’t mean you cannot move with it on your shoulders.

Create a support group! Life was not meant to be lived alone. Find others who can help you when the darkness gets too much to bear. The load is a little lighter when carried by friends. Be careful who you trust, but don’t give up trusting all together. We are all fighting our own battle, it’s good every now and then to take a moment and sit at the fire with friends, to disengage from the war with people who understand how to refill your tanks.

Give it time! Change doesn’t happen overnight. A big change takes a while. Takes even longer when you are dealing with more than one person. There will be good days and there will be bad days. On the bad days, go back to step one. You aren’t starting over, you are confirming your intentions and as all witches know, intention is key to great spellwork.

If this advice works for you, fantastic, if it doesn’t, find a better way, share it. Promote compassion and kindness.